White hair, red eyes, and wings of dark crimson and ivory spanned the sky in a fierce clash, a battle starkly split between red and white extremes.

Fresh blood fell like rain, saturating the clouds, a volume well beyond any human’s reserve. It pooled and swirled, a river of crimson engulfing the ground below. From the depths of this river, great blood-thorns shot up, stabbing toward the heavens.

In return, the angel’s wings—like mighty silver blades, some stretching up to twelve meters—continued their descent upon the earth, slashing down in torrents. Again and again, the two extremes met in a stalemate: sometimes the angel’s wings shattered the blood thorns, while other times the crimson spears pierced the bladed wings.

Their battle raged on, a brilliant yet dark display, and more people began to notice the chaos unfolding.

Despite his formidable skill, 008 could not overcome the angel. And though they appeared locked in a stalemate, the truth was apparent: it was he who was losing ground. For the angel, 023, was an evolving being. Today, he could hold his own, but tomorrow, the next day, the victory would tip toward her.

008 dodged a slashing wing, launching himself high into the sky. He glanced back at Lilith, now safely carried away by Shino. Smart kid.

"Lilith’s a lovely child, not much younger than my own son,” he remarked. “You know, I've always treated her like a daughter."

Without missing a beat in her attacks, Moon replied, "So, you revealed yourself just for her? I thought a monster like you wouldn’t be moved by sentiment."

The two clashed once more, moving from the ground to the sky, and back down again. 008’s hands rose, conjuring twin blood scythes that sliced through the air toward her.

"A monster like me, you say? And what does that make you?"

"Why follow the GPA?” he continued. “Is it for benefits? I doubt they could offer anything worthwhile."

The blood scythes collided with her wings, the impact ringing out in metallic reverberation.

This time, Moon said nothing.

008 unleashed another volley, the blood transforming into shapes—a ceaseless barrage aimed at her. "You love to argue. Come on, prove me wrong!"

Moon’s white eyes flickered. "If you want to chat," she replied coolly, "I can do that all day."

At her words, 008 halted his assault and clapped his hands together in a sharp, mocking clap.

"Sorry, not interested."

Poof!

The blood vessels on the angel’s body burst, and fresh blood streamed from her wounds.

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“Seems even angels bleed,” 008 mused, smirking.

She twisted her head toward him, and the spilled blood flowed back into her as if pulled by unseen strings.

"It's true I bleed,” she replied, unshaken. “But my blood, my body, my power—they’re mine. You think you can control them? Do you really believe you can?"

008 took a step back, realizing her control had reached a terrifying degree. She could command her body entirely, even the blood within, snapping it away from his influence.

Above them, a massive eye silently observed all that unfolded.

...

In the Crack Space, Mei jotted notes into her worn notebook.

"The angel appears to control every inch of her body, down to the cellular level. This was a recent development, perhaps an evolution."

"Could this be a step toward a perfect life form?"

She marked her notes with a quill, appending “S-rank potential” beside the angel's profile. She’d given the same rank to a demon once, though for 008, Mei had settled on an A-rank potential.

It was a conclusion based on current abilities, ignoring their potential for further evolution.

But, Mei noted, unlike the others, the angel likely wouldn’t need potions to aid in her development.

...

Seeing his blood manipulation falter, 008 swiftly retreated, wings flapping in a swift backdraft.

"Dogs," he muttered, and as if summoned by his words, thousands of crimson eyes ignited in the darkness, glowing with eerie intensity.

Moon prepared to strike, but before she could move, a horde of Vampires—countless in number—rushed toward her from every direction!

This many?

Moon's brow tightened. She unfurled her wings, cleaving through waves of Vampires with sweeping strokes. Yet, no matter how many she cut down, they regenerated at a shocking pace, their bodies knitting back together almost instantly. However, her wings carried neurotoxins, and each cut inflicted excruciating pain. Injured Vampires writhed on the ground, wracked with agony before they managed to recover. But despite her efforts, the sheer numbers were overwhelming.

"Angel, fall back! You’ve got more enemies closing in!"

A voice crackled from her earpiece. Moon turned to see an elderly man in a white robe, standing calmly nearby, waving.

“Old man here, loves teaching the young’uns the Tai Chi beatdown.”

Moon’s frown deepened as she watched the old man strike out with a palm.

A whirlwind of energy surged from his hand toward her. She flapped her wings, trying to disperse it, but the force wrapped around her, tightening like a binding coil.

In the next instant, the world around her shifted.

She found herself in a dimly lit room, surrounded by eight doors, each bearing a unique symbol.

"Eight Gates,” came the old man’s voice. “Only one path leads to life.”

He chuckled softly. “Kid, good luck."

…

Outside.

As the angel vanished, the Vampires halted, stunned by her disappearance.

“She’s… gone?” one murmured.

A figure clad in violet descended from the sky, joining the old man with a sharp smile.

"Juan," the figure asked, "can you actually kill an angel?"

Juan paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Not so simple, but trapping her should be no problem. If she gets lost in there, well, she might just be finished.”

But no sooner had he spoken than the space before them distorted, and Moon reappeared!

“What?” Juan’s eyes went wide. “How did she escape so fast?”

The violet-clad figure, Naira Sorkin, gaped as well. “She should’ve been trapped for a while!”

In truth, Moon had devised a solution almost instantly. She had spread her wings, piercing each of the eight doors. The undamaged wing pointed her to the path of life, allowing her to exit the maze within seconds.

Turning her gaze on Naira and Juan, Moon advanced with an eerie calm. The two quickly retreated, realizing the danger.

Naira's power was gravity manipulation, limited to weights of 500 kilograms or less. He tried to exert his control over the angel, hoping to crush her movements. But then, something shocking became apparent.

Her weight exceeded 500 kilograms.

“What kind of monster is she?”